On December 22, 2007, from 8:30AM at the National Pediatric Hospital, There was the first General Congress (Election) of Cambodia Korea Alumni Association (First Mandate). The honorable guests in this Congress were Mr. Kim Byung-gwan, Representative of KOICA Cambodia Office, Mr. Lee Byung Hwa, Deputy Representative of KOICA Cambodia Office and Prof. Chhour Y Meng, Director of the National Pediatric Hospital, Ministry of Health.

I- The Electoral Committee: 9 persons

They are all government officials who are working in the National Pediatric Hospital and they are also the alumni who have trained in Korea through KOICA.

Phnom Penh: Alumni who have trained in the Republic of Korea held the official election to process the Cambodia Korea Alumni Association (CAMKAA) under the auspice of the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA).

Prof. Chhour Y Meng, Director of the National Pediatric Hospital has received the 72 votes of 72 votes to lead this association. He addressed to the government officials, officials of the Embassy of the Republic of Korea and the Alumni who have trained in the Republic of Korea at the Phnom Penh Hotel that we could witness eyes that the Kingdom of Cambodia and the Republic of Korea have been continuing the diplomatic relations and good friendship cooperation with many fruitful achievements such as: politics, economics, society, culture, tourism etc.

He went on to say that the Alumni who have trained in the Republic of Korea through the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) until now there were more than one thousand persons. Those people were working in the countrywide. This association was created is to gather all alumni to meet each other to help Cambodia to develop according to what we can see the development from the Republic of Korea to practice in the Kingdom of Cambodia.

Prof. Chhour Y Meng also informed that the Cambodia Korea Alumni Association (CAMKAA) has received the support from the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA). This association will be elected the new president every three (3) years.

This association was founded in 2002, at that time it was called “I Love Korea Club”. The First President of “I Love Korea Club” was H.E. Dr. Chea Vandeth, Assistant to H.E. Sok An, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Council of Ministers. He led the “I Love Korea Club” from 2002 until 2005. From 2005, Prof. Chhour Y Meng was the temporary president. The temporary board members held the meeting and discussion several time to discuss on the internal regulation and association constitution. At last, this association was officially approved from the Ministry of Interior of the Kingdom of Cambodia on December 20, 2007.

H.E. Shin Hyun-suk, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea expressed his congratulation to the association that could prepare it to be the legal association since founding this association for five (5) years.

He went on to say that this year it has been ten (10) years since Korea re-establish diplomatic relations with Cambodia. Looking back, Korea and Cambodia has made amazingly strong and friendly partnership for last ten (10) years.

By showing the culture exchange between both countries, he also informed that lots of artists and performers visited Cambodia already and last October, we had Korean movie festival successfully. So there is more opportunity to get culture interchange between both countries day by day.

H. E. Tram Iv Tek, Secretary of State of the Ministry of Public Works and Transport expressed his profound thanks and appreciation for the generous supports and assistances of the Government of the Republic of Korea and Korean people through Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA). He also informed that the Republic of Korea through the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) has provided the scholarship long term and short term to the Cambodian people more than one thousand (1, 000) persons to train in Korea since 1995.

H.E. Tram Iv Tek also informed that under the leading of Samdech Prime MinisterHun Sen, the government of Cambodia has made Cambodia to develop every field and show the clearly strategy plan to develop the country and integrate Cambodia into the world, especially with the Republic of Korea has made the strong friendship and cooperation between both countries to be more and more strong day by day.